


Ex's & Oh's

by Kindassunshine



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Accidental Stimulation, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bath Sex, Blow Jobs, Boys Kissing, Canon-Typical Violence, Demons, Dubious Ethics, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Implied/Referenced Torture, Love Confessions, M/M, Massage, Non-Penetrative Sex, Sleeping Together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-09-24 23:49:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9792524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kindassunshine/pseuds/Kindassunshine
Summary: ‘What I am doing?’ the man grinned wriggling onto his back, ‘I’ll tell you but it’s a secret, okay?’ he added in a stage whisper, ‘– I’m coming on to you.’‘Oh,’ Suguro choked stupidly feeling his face flush, which was impressive considering it felt like all the blood he had seemed to have migrated south.‘Is that… something that interests you?’ Lightning murmured.An evening in the Underground Library takes an interesting turn when Suguro discovers a book that is definitely in the wrong section. Now a quintet! (it's all on similar theme I'm not gonna lie...) :D





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Like magic circles... get it? :D
> 
> Just FYI I'm up-to-date with the manga (and I'm guessing you are too if you're reading this! Yay!) so don't get spoiled ;)
> 
> Enjoy!

From somewhere within the Underground Library a clock struck the hour. Suguro looked up from the passage he’d been frowning at. Two o’clock already, he wondered, glancing at the dial of his own watch. It felt like they’d barely been searching an hour.  
‘Time seems to pass strangely here, huh?’ murmured the man sprawled a few feet from him. Suguro turned his attention to Lewin Light curiously. He was curled on his side, propped on an elbow, idly leafing through a book that looked like it might be bound in human skin.  
Suguro returned to his own pile without speaking. It was warm and smelled comfortably musty in the library and he could feel heaviness seeping into his body. The only light now shone from alternate green-shaded reading lamps, so that between the rows of shelves it was unhelpfully gloomy.  
Across from him Lightning was reading with a dozen of Sylphs lazily circling his head, their slight bodies producing a silvery phosphorescence that lit his page. For almost half an hour after he’d summoned them Suguro couldn’t stop staring, even now he would peek every so often. It was equal parts unnerving and amazing for Lightning to wield such power so casually.  
Suguro quickly looked down at his notes realising he’d been staring; the silvery illumination seemed to brighten all Lightning’s lightness and deepen all his shadows.  
He slid the next book off his pile, the cover soft mauve cover with an ornate golden lock that had apparently been inexpertly picked at some point in the library’s past. Suguro restrained a sigh, glancing again at his master. While Suguro watched the man stretched like a contented cat and resettled himself without looking up.  
Suguro frowned. He wasn’t even sure exactly what he was searching for. His volley of questions had been met with a cheerful, if useless: ‘you’ll know it when you see.’  
After carefully folding back the broken lock Suguro opened the book flicking through the several pages before he realised what he was looking at and closing it with a snap. Lightning started, peering up at him.  
‘I think this was in the wrong section,’ he said quickly at the curious look.  
‘Let’s see,’ he grinned and Suguro thought his master might be as bored as he was. Lightning pushed himself up scattering burger wrappers in the process as well as several very old, and Suguro could only guess how valuable, manuscripts.  
Having been momentary distracted by the flying papers, Suguro now realised what Lightning had said.  
‘It’s really not–’ he gabbled feeling his cheeks burn as the man flopped beside him, a Sylph whizzing dangerously past his ear.  
‘Ah,’ Lightning muttered flacking a hand irritably at the tiny demons to disperse them. He leant into Suguro, chin brushing his shoulder as pulled open the book in his hands. Suguro sat stiff with inevitability and hyperaware of the heat of the other body against his back.  
For a moment there was an almost unbearable silence, then Lightning’s entire body was shaking against Suguro’s and he was turning the pages cackling at each one. If he were honest, Suguro was not sure many of the drawings contained in the book were all that anatomically accurate. The Sylphs had resumed orbiting them, drawn to Lightning’s bright laugh. This close Suguro realised with amazement he could hear the slight chime of their every movement.  
‘I’m not even sure that’s possible…’ Lightning murmured, flipping the book landscape as if this might make the position easier to imagine. Suguro tried to avert his eyes, feeling like all the blood was flowing out of his brain. Much more of the lurid illustrations and Lightning’s hot exhales on his neck and Suguro was going to be embarrassing himself.  
‘I gotta show this to Angel,’ he snickered, flipping the book closed to Suguro’s relief. Lightning stood, still chuckling, lifting the book over Suguro’s head. Suguro brought his knees up quickly.  
Pulling at the fabric on his thigh, he grit his teeth willing the erection away. He wasn’t sure he could stand without incurring a few awkward questions.  
‘Oh,’ Suguro’s head snapped up to see Lightning grinning at him, ‘did you get excited?’ Suguro bowed his head feeling his entire face burning. He could hear booted feet tap closer and wondered suddenly if Lightning would punish him.  
‘Forgive me,’ he grunted, bowing uncomfortably low.  
‘Ah, don’t freak out,’ Lightning murmured. He was standing directly in front of him now, so close the tip of Suguro’s nose was almost touching his scuffed boots. Suguro steeled himself and forced himself to look up.  
Lightning wasn’t looking at him but speaking quietly to a Sylph on his palm. As he watched the Sylph flitted away followed by her sisters.  
Now Lightning was peering at him speculatively. He stuck out a hand and Suguro took it, allowing himself to be dragged to his feet. Lightning’s palm was warm and dry against his.  
‘I put my Sylphs on watch,’ he grinned backing Suguro further into the gloom, ‘we’ll get a warning if anyone’s coming our way.’  
‘What are you doing?’ Suguro mumbled, unnerved when his back hit the perimeter wall. He could see Lightning’s teeth gleaming in the shadowed stacks as he crowded him into the narrow space where the shelf met the wall.  
‘You got me a bit worked up,’ Lightning murmured leaning into him, smelling his skin. Suguro felt his heart rate spike at the sensation of Lightning’s hips being pressed into the juncture between his thighs. He shallowed.  
He should stop this, Suguro realised as he felt the man’s hand slide beneath his shirt. But it was difficult sometimes to tell what Lightning understood, and didn’t care about, and what he wasn’t processing at all. And Suguro couldn’t deny he wanted this. Wanted Lightning’s strength, wanted his wildness. Wanted to drink him in.  
‘You want to, right?’ he asked and Suguro could feel a warm hand on his hipbone. Lightning didn’t smell good exactly, but there was something about him that smelled heady and masculine. It made Suguro want to crawl inside him.  
‘Yeah,’ he said thickly, trying to not actually pant. After all Lightning was the adult, surely he could tell what would hurt his heart. Lightning looped an arm around his neck, hugging Suguro into his body, not kissing him but nuzzling into his hair. And Suguro could feel his other hand pop the button on his waistband and slide down his zip. He couldn’t see much of the other, perhaps just the outline of his chin and the flicks in his hair.  
When Lightning pulled back a little to look at him, Suguro was relieved it was so dark in the corner they were crushed in. Although the other could probably feel the heat radiating from his flush, he thought.  
‘You know what to do?’ he murmured into Suguro’s ear and he nodded.  
Opening his own fly, Lightning caught him by both wrists pulling Suguro’s hands into his underwear. Suguro inhaled touching tentatively as Lightning settled back against him hand slipping beneath thin fabric and fitting around him easily.  
Suguro groaned nearly biting through his lip as he struggled to keep control of himself. The other seemed to sense this as he held still for a moment before beginning to rub him. Suguro tried to breathe evenly, colours flickering behind his eyes.  
He could feel smooth heated skin beneath his fingertips and coarse pubic hair against his knuckles. He wondered if it was as black as the hair brushing against his cheek.  
‘You smell good,’ Lightning murmured, his voice sounding deep and rich. Deliriously he wondered if Lightning could devour him, envelope him until he couldn’t tell where he ended and the other began.  
Suguro grasped sharply, trying to stop his legs shaking uncontrollably as his climax peaked. He panted leaning heavily against Lightning, burning with embarrassment wishing he could pull the orgasm back inside. Lightning had extracted his hand carefully and was now hugging Suguro.  
‘Come on,’ he chuckled lazily, ‘I’ve got better dirty talk then that.’  
‘I’m sorry I–’ Suguro stuttered but Lightning was really laughing now.  
‘Don’t be,’ he snorted, rubbing his back, ‘come on, you can try on it me if like.’ Suguro snorted a little, squeezing gently at the firm flesh in his hands.  
‘I don’t know what you’d like,’ he muttered as Lightning pressed into him again forcing his thighs a little wider.  
‘I’m pretty easy to please,’ he chuckled, ‘umm,’ he slid a hand over Suguro’s wrist, ‘do it, like you do when you’re on your own, okay?’ Suguro felt his face heat at the thought of Lightning imagining him touching himself.  
Where Lightning held the side of his head, Suguro turned just slightly to lick his inner wrist just to taste his skin. He grunted, tightening his grip.  
‘Don’t tempt me,’ he murmured darkly, thumb tracing along Suguro’s lower lip. And Suguro wondered what he would do if Lightning wanted to put it in his mouth. He had feeling he’d let this man put it anywhere he wanted.  
Suguro ran his hand down the length, thumb sliding over a moist tip. Lightning groaned softly. He repeated the motion and could feel Lightning’s blunt nails digging into the back of his neck. Though he felt clumsy and self-conscious, he could help feeling a thrill at each soft sound the man was making. He stroked slowly with both hands and could feel the other body shivering in response.  
Then he began to moved faster until was the other was panting, entire body stiff, needy hips jerking into him.  
Lightning’s mouth was warm and wet against his neck. Suguro closed his eyes, allowing for a moment his awareness of the other’s body to overwhelm him.  
‘I’m going to–’ the man slurred, a split second before Suguro felt the evidence of the climax hot on his palms. Lightning groaned deeply, forehead pressed to Suguro’s shoulder for a second. Exhaling heavily, he straightened up.  
Suguro had to fight the urge to keep hold of him, instantly missing his weight and warmth. For a moment he remained with his back pressed against the coolness of the wall with Lightning a little less than an arm length away.  
‘Okay,’ he huffed and Suguro could see him fixing his clothing in the low light. Shifting at last, he did the same although he was still hypersensitive and it was uncomfortable.  
Without speaking Lightning trotted back down the aisle, recalling the Sylphs. Following quickly Suguro began to tidying their work area, trying not to think too hard about what had just happened. He could still smell the other on him, taste his flesh, feel rough palms on his skin.  
‘Are you freaking out?’ Lighting murmured and he glanced up at him guiltily, wondering if the other had guessed what Suguro was imagining. Lightning laughed, sharp and bright as knife. He smiled, ‘did I take advantage of you?’ Suguro bowed his head to hide his blush. He wasn’t sure if Lightning was the one who’d been taking advantage.  
‘We can break it off, if you want?’ Lightning added flatly after a moment, suddenly looking scruffy and sad, ‘I get it if you don’t want a guy like me for your master.’ Wreathed by the Sylphs, Lightning looked like a dejected and slightly grubby Saturn. Suguro bit the inside of his cheek, guessing his silence had been misinterpreted.  
‘You already asked me that,’ he muttered, straightening to his full height, ‘my answer hasn’t changed.’ He folded his arms, holding himself in. Stopping his mouth before he couldn’t say anything else, before he could say he found Lightning intoxicating and every touch, hard or light, made him thirstier for him.  
‘Okay,’ Lightning exhaled heavily like he’d been holding his breath, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. Then he grinned pointing at Suguro, ‘right, you go take a cold shower or something,’ Suguro felt his cheeks heat, ‘and I’ll see you tomorrow.’  
‘Sir,’ Suguro grunted, quickly gathering up his bag and school jacket. As he crossed the library to return to ground level he could hear Lightning’s out of tune whistling. He rubbed the side of his mouth, smoothing the smile off his lips.


	2. Chapter 2

Suguro jumped as the file he had held slipped from his fingers and hit the floor with a clatter. Blinking he looked around tiredly, he hadn’t even noticed himself falling asleep but suddenly the glowing numbers on his phone showed 01.16 and three missed call from Shima. And one from his mother. He groaned.  
Being surrounded by the hundreds of records was beginning to weigh heavily on his mind, he got up stiffly. The long lists of clones and the even longer descriptions of their horrible deaths were difficult to sort through. A small part of him was even feeling sorry for Amaimon. It felt surreal to match the face of the demon to the sad boy in the photographs.  
Rubbing his face roughly he moved with an effort, glancing at the buddle of blanket curled on the sofa snoring softly. Only the top of Lewin Light’s messy black hair was visible. Suguro shook his head and began tidying the papers, folders and ring-binders, he’d scattered across the office floor into neat stacks.  
On the sofa Lightning snuffled and Suguro glanced at him wondering if he would wake. He didn’t. Suguro sighed. Lately he was weirder than ever – the sleeping and the silence were beginning to get unnerving. If that was the right word, he wondered looking down at the sleeping man.  
Perhaps it was the fact that he’d expect their relationship to change and it hadn’t that was unnerving. After all they’d sort of had sex and Lightning was still treating him with the same sort of confused indifference he seemed to extent to everyone.  
Not that he should have expected anything else, he watched Lightning threaten and beat with equal dispassion. In the back of his mind Suguro realised Lightning had probably killed people, maybe a lot of people. And not in the indirect way he’d forced the monk to break the Morinas contract.  
It frightened him how little it reduced Lightning’s appeal.  
He looked much younger asleep, chin snuggled into the rolled-over neck of his jumper and his curled hands tucked under his cheek. His shoulder rose and sunk steadily with his slow even breathing and his boots were dangling of the edge of the cushions.  
Suguro bit his lip; it felt a little illicit to watch him like this. He wanted to touch him, pull his dark hair, pinch his cheek or slip a hand between his legs.  
Feeling his knee hit the seat of sofa, he bent it so it dug into the cushions at Lightning’s hip. Then Suguro lent in allowing his hand to grip the arm of the sofa just above Lightning’s head.  
Something twisted in his stomach and Suguro paused, when had he started climbing on top of sleeping people?  
‘And now…’ Lightning grinned, shadowed eyes glittering, making Suguro flinch so badly he nearly fell backwards, ‘this one goes here.’ He caught Suguro by the wrist of his free hand, pulling until it fitted neatly against his crotch. ‘And this goes like this,’ he smirked, tugging Suguro suddenly and sharply behind the knee of his supporting leg so that the other all but collapsed onto him.  
‘What are you doing?’ he growled, scrambling to grab the back of the sofa in an effort to stay upright. He now somehow had Lightning’s thighs pressed up between his, firmly enough for concentration to be difficult.  
‘What I am doing?’ the man grinned wriggling onto his back, ‘I’ll tell you but it’s a secret, okay?’ he added in a stage whisper, ‘– I’m coming on to you.’  
‘Oh,’ Suguro choked stupidly feeling his face flush, which was impressive considering it felt like all the blood he had seemed to have migrated south.  
‘Is that… something that interests you?’ Lightning murmured, sliding his hands over Suguro’s waist plucking at shirt where it was tucked in. It felt considerably more intense to be doing this lying down, Suguro realised heart throbbing.  
‘Yeah,’ he mumbled as Lightning continued to slowly untuck his shirt. He took a breath biting his lip, unsure what to do with his hands. Then he noticed Lightning lick his mouth and wondered if he should kiss him.  
‘Can I kiss you?’ he found himself gabbling too quickly.  
‘Go for it,’ Lightning chuckled, leaving his waist to wrap his arms roughly around Suguro’s neck. Lightning’s mouth was warm and wet, as Suguro assumed most mouths were, and when he opened it he tasted like the beer he’d drunk earlier. Suguro wondered if he could get drunk from it because the longer they kissed the hazier his senses seemed to become. Both of his hands had made their way into Lightning’s hair and it was almost impossible to prevent his hips shifting against the thigh trapped between his.  
‘Ah,’ Lightning sighed after a moment, pulling back a little, ‘aren’t you sweet?’ he smiled feeling his own lips absently.  
‘Was that bad?’ Suguro asked before he could stop himself. Knelt over Lightning on all fours on the sofa, his hands gripping the fabric by the other’s head so hard his knuckles were white. Even a little kissing had him was so worked up he could barely form a coherent thought.  
‘No,’ Lightning murmured and Suguro forced himself to sit back on his heels. He could feel his ribcage lift with each breath. Even when they were barely an inch apart it was impossible to tell what Lightning was thinking.  
‘Do you want to stop?’ Lightning murmured pushing up on his elbows to peer at the other. Suguro felt like a cold hand had gripped his stomach.  
‘Do you want to?’ he mumbled. This was it, when Lightning noticed he was a dumb kid and told him to leave.  
‘Nope,’ Lightning grinned squirming to sit upright, boots crunching several files as he set them on the floor, ‘but I want you to be into it as well.’  
‘I am,’ Suguro muttered setting his feet down on the floor too and looking down at the hands curled in his lap. They sat side by side in silence for several long minutes. Suguro could hear the haunted grandfather clock Lightning kept in entranceway tick-tick maddeningly.  
‘Talk,’ Lightning ordered and Suguro glanced at him but he was fiddling with his nails and not looking at him. Suguro looked straight ahead not knowing what to say.  
‘I um…’ he started then stopped losing his confidence.  
‘Do you want me to guess?’ Lightning asked amused. He’d thrown an arm over the back of the sofa now, turning into Suguro and letting his hip bump against the other’s. His closeness felt grounding and Suguro forced himself to speak.  
‘Okay,’ he muttered to his knees, toes curling and uncurling in discomfort.  
‘Is it something like–’ Lightning muttered, hand resting on the back of Suguro head now, his voice suddenly gruff, and Suguro realised with irritation it was an impression of him, ‘“Lewin, the thing is – I’m terrible at compartmentalising, so I’m finding it difficult to navigate our relationship”?’  
‘Is that what you do?’ he asked annoyed, glaring at the man now.  
‘Yep,’ Lightning agreed then smiled slowly, ‘it’s difficult to teach you if I’m thinking about doing this.’ He leaned in lips brushing against Suguro’s. He felt a tingling rush and pressed forwards only to have Lightning catch him by then shoulders.  
‘Slow,’ Lighting mouthed at him laughing.  
‘And that’s okay?’ he asked frowning into Lightning’s grinning face.  
‘You’re smart,’ Lightning smirked, ‘you know it isn’t.’  
‘I still want to,’ Suguro told him, eyes moving from his to his pink mouth.  
‘No kidding,’ Lightning snorted sliding a hand briefly over the front of his uniform trousers making Suguro gasp. He laughed flopping onto his back again bending his legs up one at time to unlace his boots and pull off greying socks. When he wriggled his bare toes at Suguro, he realised he’s just been watching unfocused.  
‘Keep those away from me,’ he grunted, batting the foot away and pushing Lightning legs apart so he could lean over him again. His heart rate jumped realising after all that how casually he’d moved into this position.  
‘You like it on top, huh?’ Lightning chuckled like he’d read his mind and Suguro felt his entire body blushing at the implication. But Lightning pulled him down to his mouth again and he couldn’t think of anything but the taste of it for a moment.  
His hands were sunk into dark hair again and he could feel Lightning’s blunt nail trace up the bare skin of his chest. He wondered distantly when his shirt had come undone. He sucked the other’s bottom lip then pressing very lightly with his teeth, feeling a hand tighten around his ribs.  
His hips were on a kind of constant slow roll, pressing heavily into Lightning’s pelvis shifting jerkily back and forth. The buttons and zips and buckles between them scrapping roughly over his sensitive skin with every shift.  
He should probably relax a bit Suguro thought hazily, Lightning was panting pretty hard and he must be crushing him. Moving back gingerly, he tried to lift as much of his weight off Lightning without separating their bodies.  
But Lightning followed sitting up too, kissing him with one hand on the back of his head. Then his hands slid under Suguro’s shirt and pushed it down his shoulders, smoothing appreciatively over his biceps. Suguro could feel himself flushing hyperaware of the cool air on his newly exposed skin. He felt for the hem of Lightning’s jumper and when he pulled it up a little Lightning broke their kiss and pulled it off over his head. He dropped it unceremoniously over the back of the sofa and went back to kissing him.  
Lightning shifted in Suguro’s lap, legs wrapped loosely around his naked waist. He was hugging him against him as they kissed, bare skin pressed to bare skin. Suguro held onto the back of his neck drinking in the sensation of the man’s skin pressed against his. He wanted to be naked. He wanted them both to be naked. Wanted run to his hands and tongue and cock over every inch of Lightning’s body.  
Lightning turned to pant into his neck.  
‘Can we try something?’ he murmured into his ear, his voiced deeper and rougher then he was used to. Suguro shivered.  
‘Yeah,’ he answered, groaning as Lightning ran a hand down his back kissing his shoulder. He let Lightning push him so he lay on his back now, trapped between the other’s knees. Lightning wriggled back sitting on his heels warm hands resting on Suguro’s hips. Then Lightning popped the button on his fly and eased down the zip. Suguro felt every muscle in his legs go taught and he to fight not to instantly arch his back into Lightning’s soft touches.  
Lightning’s fingers curled around the waistband of his uniform and underwear and then he was pulling until the fabric was bunched at Suguro’s knees. Suguro closed his eyes flushing, not wanting to look at his cock jutting, thick and undeniable, into the space between them.  
‘You’re gonna wanna see this,’ Lightning breathed into his ear in a rasping whisper. Suguro flicked his eyes open just in time to see Lightning bend and give his cock a long lick. Suguro gasped digging his nails into his palms as Lightning’s mouth encased him.  
In seconds he was delirious, body on a knife edge. Lightning bent low over him, dark hair brushing his taut stomach every so often when he sunk down on him. And when he moved back Suguro could see his lips were pink against the darker pink of his shaft.  
He touched Lightning’s shoulder then ran the hand up over the side of his neck and across his throat, feeling the tendons moving as his mouth worked. Lightning glanced up at him and Suguro looked back briefly then away face burning. Lightning had to sit up because he was laughing.  
‘Hmm you’re cute,’ he chuckled kissing Suguro’s stomach and chest, warm hands stroking down thighs. Suguro squirmed, everywhere Lightning had kissed tingling, as the man took his cock in his mouth again.  
Sharp heat was pulsing low in his stomach and Lightning’s every movement was twisting him tighter and tighter. He could see each and every muscle in Lightning’s back flex and soften as he moved. It was exquisite. Suguro whined softly, hips twitching up irresistibly and his nails digging into Lightning’s shoulder, leaving a row of semi-circular indents in his sun-browned skin. Lightning gave a muffled groan hands clamping hard on his hips for a moment before he sat up.  
‘Are you close?’ he panted, wiping his chin with his knuckles. Suguro nodded taking in Lightning’s flushed face and glittering shadowed eyes. Lightning smiled at him, slow and wicked.  
His movement were fast now slick mouth slipping up and down him until he could hardly breathe. Heat burnt up his inner thighs and down his chest as the orgasm seared through him. He shouted, fisting Lightning’s hair on reflex, hips jerking upwards. Suguro gasped releasing the other quickly and trying to pull himself upright in the same movement still shaking with aftershocks.  
‘Hey, relax,’ Lightning coughed, sitting back to give him space. ‘Are you okay?’ he grinned and Suguro nodded flushing. ‘You’re pretty vicious when you’re worked up, huh?’ he chuckled leaning over so he could kiss Suguro lightly on the lips.  
‘I’m sorry I didn’t meant to–’ he started.  
‘It’s okay,’ Lightning smirked, catching him by the chin, ‘lucky you’re hot – so I’ll let it slide.’ Suguro blushed again knowing Lighting was teasing him, ‘you gonna give me a little help?’ he added, running a fingertip over his inner wrist. He’d slumped back into the sofa, bare feet brushing the crumped files, opening his jeans and beginning to stroke his cock.  
Suguro stumbled upright pulling up his trousers without fastening them.  
‘You’re leaving, huh?’ Lightning smirked, watching him standing nervously. Suguro steeled himself moving to stand before Lightning then kneeling between his bare feet and sliding his hands under Lightning’s to take over rubbing his cock.  
‘Slowly,’ he mumbled as Suguro lowered his mouth. He licked tentatively, Lightning’s skin smooth and hot beneath his tongue, before taking the tip into his mouth. Lightning groaned and Suguro could feel the vibration through his chest. He swallowed reflexively, arousal filling his mouth with saliva, and Lightning gasped.  
Suguro sat up a little sliding his mouth down Lightning’s cock until he could feel another centimetre would trigger his gag reflex. Confident in his boundaries his slid back again and again and again and again until Lightning was panting softly back arched off the sofa. One of Lightning’s warm hands was gently cupping his skull and the other gripping his shoulder hard enough to bruise.  
He was a little embarrassed by the small wet sounds his mouth was making but Lightning’s deep groans were more than loud enough to mask these most of the time. He thought maybe Lightning was close, he was shivery and noisy like he’d been the last time Suguro had made him come.  
Lightning moaned again and then he was pulling a surprised Suguro off him sharply by the hair and he felt something warm fleck and run down his neck and chest.  
Lightning groaned throwing his head back into the sofa cushions. Suguro watched him still being held by the hair until he straightened up. He let him go rubbing his face with both hands, peering at Suguro through his fingers when he noticed the other staring at him.  
Before either could speak a sound made Suguro glanced around.  
‘What’s that?’ he muttered. If he had to guess he’d say it sounded like muffled monastic chanting.  
‘Shit,’ Lightning sighed, pulling his phone, the source of the weird chanting, from the depths of the sofa cushions, ‘bathroom,’ he ordered pointing at Suguro then answered the call.  
‘You know it’s the middle of the night here, right?’ he spoke English, his accent making it almost unrecognisable to Suguro. Lightning rolled his eyes at whatever the response was and flapped a hand at him to indicate his need for privacy.  
Suguro got up, thighs complaining a little, and made his way the bathroom. He washed quickly, pink at the thought of what he was cleaning off his skin. He brushed his teeth too as he ran his fingertips over the bruise Lightning’s hand had left on shoulder.  
When he returned to the study it was empty so he pulled on his shirt, shoes and shrugging on his jacket stifling a yawn and deciding he’d go back to the dorms and just text goodnight instead of waiting. The Vatican branch must be rich based on the length of Lightning’s international phone calls. And he felt a little shivery and weird now he wasn’t so hyped on adrenaline.  
He was fixing his tie when several people banged into the room.  
‘Suguro-kun?’ grunted Mephisto Pheles, the man in front of him, and Suguro promptly froze. That evening he looked tired and surly, he wore a white exorcist uniform and expression that suggested nothing but the upmost politeness would be tolerated.  
‘Sir,’ Suguro responded quickly with an awkward half bow.  
‘Keep a lot of teenage boys in your rooms at night, do you?’ Mephisto purred over his shoulder as Lightning trotted into the room behind him followed by the Paladin. Suguro stared vaguely alarmed; his tired eyes strained by Angel’s general brilliance. He wore white too but couldn’t have been a greater contrast to Mephisto.  
‘What a disgusting imagination you have,’ Angel declared acidly, ‘–so like your kind.’ Suguro glanced Lightning, who smiled back placidly, unsure if they’d been caught out or not. Mephisto was watching him expectantly.  
‘I feel asleep working,’ he muttered, indicating the folders still scattered on the floor round them, feeling as though Lightning had left hand prints all over him, ‘I was just heading back to the dorms,’ he added weakly and he could see Lightning was smiling a little.  
‘Well,’ Mephisto murmured, greenish eyes gleaming, ‘off you go then – toot sweet.’ Suguro bowed again and quickly made for the door.

He closed the door to Lightning’s rooms with a soft click and hurried across the campus without a backwards glance, conscious of how close a call they’d had. He hoped it was a rumour the headmaster could be in two places at once.  
Shima was snoring soft when he slipped into his dorm room. He was just wriggling into his sleeping clothes when his phone lit up Lightning’s name scrolling lazily across the screen.  
‘It’s late,’ he hissed softly pressing the glowing screen close to his face, checking the light hadn’t woken the others.  
‘Yeah,’ Lightning agreed indifferently, ‘just wanted to saying thanks for earlier.’ Suguro restrained the urge to groan; he made it sound like they’d been in a board meeting.  
‘Yeah, okay,’ he muttered at last.  
‘For the blow job and the lying,’ Lightning reiterated, ‘those were both really good.’ Suguro ran a hand slow down his face. What did he want him to say to that?  
‘Ditto,’ he sighed and he heard Lightning chuckled on the other end.  
‘I’m really starting to love you,’ he murmured and Suguro could hear the smile in his voice. He stilled, heart suddenly beginning to throb hard.  
‘That’s the wrong phase,’ he choked out stiffly, trying to force his free hand to stop shaking.  
‘Ah! It is?’ Lightning laughed voice still soft, ‘sorry I’m tired, did I say something weird?’  
‘Well, night,’ Suguro swallowed unable to keep the odd stiffness from his voice.  
‘Yep night, kid,’ Lightning yawned, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’  
Suguro hung up and stood for a moment in the silence and darkness listening to his own breathing.


	3. Chapter 3

Furiously willing the pain throbbing above his left eyebrow away, Suguro closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them again it took a moment for the black spots to disappear. He huffed out a breath; a migraine was not what he needed right now. He had to prepare for the end of term finals, as well as cram for the Exorcist Exam, while chasing around after Lightning as a combination of manservant, PA and boyfriend. He tried to focus on the text again but it was beginning to blur.

‘What’s up?’ Lightning asked from behind the teacher’s desk. Though the lesson was long over for the day, they sat in the classroom Suguro was finishing his homework while ensuring Lightning finished his own work. Lightning had a bad habit of getting distracted and being distracting if they were alone in his rooms.

‘Migraine,’ Suguro shrugged pressing gently against his eyelids.

‘You get migraines?’ he asked getting up and trotting over. Suguro nodded carefully but his head still gave a throb.

‘It’s fine,’ he mumbled still covering his eyes, ‘I’ve got a prescription.’

‘Right, no more homework for today,’ Lightning murmured, sliding the books from under his hands and folding them shut. ‘Come and lie down from bit, I’ve probably got something that will help.’ Suguro allowed himself to be pulled up but having tasted Lightning’s apparently common cold preventing tea he would not be taking any more of his home recipes.

He watched mutely as Lightning selected a smallish gold key from the huge bunch he had stuffed inside his Exorcist jacket and opened the classroom door to his private rooms.

‘How’d you get a key to your own room?’ Suguro asked letting Lightning push him across the threshold.

‘I’m a teacher, remember?’ he snorted pulling Suguro after him and with a weird kind of rush Suguro realised Lightning was leading him to the bedroom.

‘Get horizontal,’ Lightning ordered turning to rummage in the several large trunks he had stacked against one wall. Suguro pushed off his shoes and after a moment removed his socks and trousers as well. He might as well be comfortable, he thought undoing his tie.

‘And wear that,’ Lightning added throwing a holey but mercifully clean t-shirt at him. Suguro wriggled into it obediently, unbuttoning his shirt while Lighting was digging through a trunk. 

He sat on the bed surveying his surrounding, this room was as full of junk and cluttered as all the other’s that were Lightning’s with a large and intricate summoning circle painted in the middle of the floor he’d had to edge around when he’d made his way to the bed. It also had the strong and unusual smell of patchouli oil, unwashed clothes and wood smoke. 

‘Head this end,’ Lightning grinned, patting the space beneath a battered and very ancient-looking dreamcatcher. Suguro lay down tentatively careful not to brush against it but as he looked up the feathers moved slightly.

‘Is it possessed?’ he asked surprised.

‘Yep,’ Lightning grinned, ‘one of my first familiars – she likes you.’ he smiled gently rubbing a ratty feather between his fingertips. Suguro felt himself smile a little in spite of himself. ‘Okay, take a couple of deep breaths,’ Lightning instructed. He’d crumbled several different handfuls of herbs into what looked like a shallow flowerpot along with a lump of wax and lit the whole thing sending up a plume of smoke.

‘You’ll set off the fire alarm,’ Suguro choked trying to sit up, migraine momentarily forgotten, but Lightning held him back laughing.

‘Don’t worry – I switched it off,’ he told him cheerfully and Suguro had to restrain a groan. ‘Breathe now,’ Lightning murmured again, warm hand resting on his solar plexus. And Suguro did, although he was almost certain the sour smelling smoke was going to make his head worse.

The weight of Lightning’s hand on him felt pleasant and as Suguro breathed deeply he could think of better places he could put it.

 

The first thing he became aware of was how comfortable he was, his whole body felt surrounded by warm softness. The next thing he noticed was something equally warm but also breathing curled against his back. He opened his eyes.

Outside the window he could see it was completely dark now and he wondered how long he and Lightning had been asleep. Then he realised how wonderfully clear his head was, not a trace of the migraine remained. He shifted just slightly so Lightning’s weight was pressed on him just a little more, perhaps after this he could forgive the tea.

Before he could slip off again a peal of church bells blared so loudly he jerked and a deep groan came from his back. Lightning sat up yawning, grabbing his phone and shutting off the racket.

‘You awake?’ he slurred poking Suguro’s side. He grunted rolling over but not opening his eyes, ‘nope, no, no you gotta wake up,’ Lightning carried on shaking his shoulder and yawning again. Suguro sat up too, although he could barely keep his eyes open. He watched as Lightning slipped from the bed pulling a bottle of Holy water from the crate he had, for some reason, in his bedroom. He doused the still smoking herbs and Suguro felt himself instantly brighten.

‘You have to be careful,’ Lightning yawned, rubbing his face and taking a swig of the Holy water, ‘you sleep too long you’ll be sleeping forever.’

‘I’m not sure you should drink that,’ Suguro told him, the crate looked like a relic from the last world war.

‘Nah, it’s fine,’ Lightning shrugged flopping back on the bed next to him with a long stretch, ‘how’s the head?’  

‘Better,’ Suguro nodded, ‘Thank you.’ His body was warm and still sleep soft as snuggled against Suguro’s side. And it had not gone unnoticed they were lying in bed together.

Lightning had picked up his phone again scrolling absently, rubbing at his left shoulder under t-shirt and Suguro remembered Rin at lunch. He’d rolled in to the advanced class triumphantly, hugging his irritated brother around the neck, and yelling to Suguro that last evening he’d finally succeed in landing a blow on Lightning in sword practice. 

‘Rin got you, huh?’ he asked, nodding at Lightning’s shoulder.

‘Yeah,’ he laughed, ‘hurts like hell – the kid’s a real demon.’ Suguro snorted.

‘Do want me to…’ he offered awkwardly, extending a hand to indicate taking over the massage when Lightning continued rubbing his shoulder.

‘Oh,’ he said apparently shocked and Suguro flushed pulling his hand back immediately. Lightning laughed, locking his phone and looking at him. ‘Sorry Ryuji, I’d like you to do that – you just surprised me,’ he smiled, stroking Suguro’s hair back.

‘Sorry,’ he muttered, wishing his cheeks would stop burning.

‘It’s fine, it’s me being weird not you,’ Lightning told him, squeezing the back of his neck gently, ‘I’m sure I’ve got some arnica in the bureaux.’

‘I’ll get it,’ Suguro said and, with more confidently than he felt, ‘take your shirt off.’ Lightning smirked but didn’t speak and Suguro got up quickly.

‘The third or fourth draw,’ Lightning called from the bed when Suguro reached the heavy mahogany bureaux. He squinted at the labels – he thought that was an ‘A’. The letters were Western and in such squiggly handwriting they were almost unreadable. He selected pots from two draws unsure which was right and brought them to Lightning.

He paused. Lightning lay face down on the bed, naked but for his underwear. Suguro swallowed, unable to prevent his eyes tracing over the lean lines of his body.

‘I’m not sure which one,’ he told Lightning’s back.

‘What does it smell like?’ Lightning asked without sitting up, voice muffled by the mattress. Suguro open one and sniffed.

‘Honey,’ he said after a moment.

‘Not that one,’ Lightning rolled frowning and Suguro handed him the other one, setting the first pot on the crowded bedside table. ‘Yeah, so put a little of that on the bruise and rub it in,’ he explained as Suguro peered at the greenish salve, ‘and use the honey one for the rest,’ Suguro nodded, ‘and you can take your shirt off as well,’ he added eyes glittering. Suguro glanced at him but Lightning grinned rolling back onto his stomach. Getting on to the bed gingerly he climbed over Lightning, so his knees were pressed into the mattress either side on his hips. Lightning’s skin was warm he could feel the heat on his inner thighs.

‘Is this okay?’ he asked, touching Lightning’s back tentatively.

‘That is just fine,’ he hummed dark head nestled in his folded arms. Suguro pulled his t-shirt up over his head, dropping down the side of the bed. He allowed himself another slow perusal of Lightning’s back as he scooped a little of salve. 

He lent over dabbing it onto the bruise he could see across Lightning’s shoulder blade. It was new, purplish blue, narrow but about as long as his hand. Lightning shivered.

‘Okay?’ he murmured, smoothing his palm carefully over the area now. Lightning hummed ascent. He rubbed the salve in slow expanding circles, enjoying the sensation of his hand sliding over smooth skin. When he couldn’t see the salve anymore, he lent over to grab the other pot.

Suguro rubbed the sweet smelling substance between his hands. His heart rate increased as he pressed into the base of Lightning’s spine and then slid his palms upwards avoiding the bruise. Lightning gave a muffled groan and Suguro could feel him stretching.

He repeated the motion pausing at his shoulders to knead them, putting his weight into a knot he could feel. He rubbed small circles down his spine before sweeping back up pressing with the heels of his hands.

Lightning was groaning, arching up into his touches and Suguro could feel arousal uncurling deep in his stomach. Breath hitching slightly, he could feel his cock hanging hard and heavy between his thighs. Lightning’s skin was hot beneath his palms as he stroked slowly up his back, leaning into him. He was rubbing the space between his shoulder with his thumbs blades when he realised, bent forward like this, his erection was pressing into Lightning’s middle back.

‘Sorry, I’m um…’ he mumbled quickly pulling his hands back and lifting his hips.

‘Doesn’t matter,’ Lightning slurred sleepily, bending his arm up awkwardly to grab Suguro’s slick fingers and put them back on him. Suguro blushed but allowed his body to relax back onto the other’s resuming the massage. Lightning groaned appreciatively.

He continued rubbing slow and firm, thumbs and knuckled digging in occasionally. With Lightning groaning and wriggling underneath him he could hardly prevent his hips rocking into the other’s as he worked.

‘You could take your underwear off if you like,’ Lightning murmured softly, turning his head to the side. Suguro felt another coil of arousal low in his stomach. ‘And mine,’ he added with a smirk when Suguro dropped onto the mattress beside him to yank his underwear off. Suguro glanced back at him to find Lightning was looking at him speculatively.  

He sat back up pulling at the waistband and Lightning lifted his hips to help Suguro strip him. He was unable to prevent himself tracing his fingertips lightly over Lightning’s cock eased the fabric over it. Lightning laughed a little breathlessly.

Suguro climbed over him again, his heart was throbbing hard in his chest. Lightning was relaxed underneath him the smooth curve of his buttocks less than inch from Suguro’s flushed cock.

‘You want to try something?’ Lightning grinned at him twisting a little so he could look at him, his body curving pleasingly. Suguro tried to swallow the throbbing sensation that had somehow moved to his throat.

‘I um…’ he mumbled. He shifted back feeling self-conscious, what if he did it wrong?

‘Depends what it is, huh?’ Lightning answered for him, grinning and rolling onto his back, ‘is it easier if you can see me?’ Suguro nodded, face burning. Though it was embarrassing he felt less panicked with Lightning’s eyes gleaming at him.  

Lightning stretched pulling his muscles taut and Suguro made to get off but Lightning held his hips. ‘Nope you stay like that,’ he murmured, ‘and come a bit closer.’ He reached up to dip his fingers in the honey scented balm. With the other hand still on his hip he pulled Suguro down until he was sat on Lightning’s thighs. He settled himself, flushed and oversensitive.

As Suguro watched Lightning slicked his cock then wriggled underneath him until he could take Suguro’s into his hot slippery hands as well. Suguro gasped hips shifting forward on instinct, hands clenching tightly on both his thighs.

‘You can move a bit if you want to,’ Lightning panted. Suguro glanced at him his cheeks were pink and he was breathing hard. ‘You look really good like that,’ Lightning smiled when he noticed Suguro looking him. Suguro blushed looking down quickly, though he wasn’t sure the sight of Lightning energetically stroking their cocks together was going to calm him down.    

When Suguro shifted his hips, Lightning loosened his grip a little so Suguro’s cock could slide in his hands against him. He groaned squirming as Suguro increased his pace, settling into a rhythm. Arousal was twisting in stomach making his hips twitch and his thighs tremble.

Suguro leaned forward bracing on his forearms and Lightning dug into the mattress with his elbows so they could kiss. He tasted smoky this time, his mouth wet and sweet. Suguro kissed him slowly, licking every part of his mouth, sucking his tongue, gently biting his lip.

Pulling back a little Suguro rolled his hips, Lightning’s bare skin felt good against his, as did his wet mouth, as did his hot slick cock. He bent his head to him again and Lightning was groaning into his mouth. His back was arching up, cock gliding against Suguro’s. There was a sharp gasp and Suguro could feel something wet his stomach.

Lightning groaned going limp between his thighs and Suguro stilled nervously.

He could see Lightning’s eyes flickering but he had yet to let go of his cock. Then he was moving again sliding down the bed until he could guide Suguro’s cock down to his mouth. Suguro moaned, contracting around the point of burning pleasure that was Lightning’s mouth. His legs clamping around Lightning’s shoulders, both hands pushing down to sink into Lightning’s dark hair, falling forward his forehead pressed into the mattress. Like this it took barely a dozen wet slides of Lightning’s mouth until the orgasm seared through him in a burning white bolt.

He gasped, carefully toppling off Lightning onto his back. The other rolled against his side forehead against his rib cage. For a moment it was quiet with just the sound of their slowing breathing.     

‘Hey, don’t sleep again,’ Lightning murmured after a minute.

‘I’m not,’ Suguro grunted blinking his eyes open, he fixed his eyes on the gently twisting feathers of the dreamcatcher forcing himself to concentrate on staying awake.

After another minute, Lightning wriggled upright peering briefly at Suguro then snagging his phone. They lay in warm quiet.

‘Anything you want to talk about?’ Lightning asked not looking at him but continuing to scroll. Suguro closed his eyes briefly. He’d noticed then, Suguro sucked his lip, the hesitation.

‘I just thought…’ he trailed off, pressing the back of his hands to his eyes.  

‘Yeah?’ Lightning murmured, still apparently absorbed in the screen. Suguro sucked his lip again, silence roaring in his ears.

‘Look, I know what two guys do,’ he gabbled at the ceiling feeling his face burn, ‘I’ve watched porn and stuff.’

‘I’m not trying to make a porno with you, kid,’ Lightning laughed and Suguro turned to glare at him. Lightning sobered quickly under the glare but he was still smiling at Suguro. ‘I only want to do things that you are comfortable with,’ he added in a murmur. Suguro nodded stiffly folding his arms wishing Lightning would stop looking at him. ‘And penetration isn’t it, y’know? There’s loads of–’

‘I know,’ Suguro interrupted quickly, flushing and trying not to think about the shape of Lightning’s mouth when he said the word penetration.

‘So we can just do whatever we feel like, okay?’ Lightning told him stroking his hair gently, ‘no pressure to do anything at all, yeah?’ Suguro nodded not looking at him, ‘you understand that?’ Lightning added still watching him.

‘I do,’ Suguro told him squirming under his continued stare. This conversation was too much right now, he was still high and shivery from the intensity of his orgasm. The image of Lightning groaning and arching underneath him was still flicking across the surface of his mind.

‘I don’t want you to think I’m expecting things I’m not,’ Lightning said quietly to his knees, ‘I’m not… I… I don’t know how you’re feeling… I barely understand how I’m feeling.’ Lightning was contracted, curled in on himself pulling at his dark hair a little. Suguro pushed himself upright looking the other. He could hear it still; Lightning’s soft voice muffled over the phone telling him he loved him or was beginning to.

‘I… like you,’ Suguro said, awkwardly squeezing Lightning’s wrist but not looking down at his curled toes instead of his face, ‘and I like… you know, all the sex stuff… a lot.’ He knew Lightning was looking at him but he couldn’t look up because if he did he’d say or do something that couldn’t be unsaid or undone.

‘Okay,’ Lightning murmured and Suguro glanced up at him to see he was smiling.

‘Okay,’ Suguro smiled back.

They dressed slowly, Lightning still yawning into his hand. He let Lightning button his shirt and knot his tie, let him run his fingers through his short hair. He liked the sensation of the other dressing him almost as much as he liked how it felt when he was undressing him.

Before he opened the door to leave Lightning gave him a long kiss.

‘Night,’ he grinned, leaning against the doorframe pressing his knuckles briefly under Suguro’s chin. It was an oddly parental gesture and it made him feel strange, which Lightning must have realised too because he removed his hand quickly.  

‘Night,’ Suguro nodded back, snuggling his chin deeper in his jacket and heading towards the dormitories. He could feel the weight of Lightning’s eyes on his back until he turned to corner out of sight.   


	4. Chapter 4

Suguro paused on the threshold hearing low voices. He’d slipped back into the creepy old boy’s dormitory realising he’d left his phone after the Christmas party only when he’s gone to set his alarm for the morning. The adults had still been chatting and drinking when he’d left. He wondered if Lightning was still there. It had felt illicit to watching him talking and laughing to other people, he looked good.  
The lights were low in the room now, only and Shura and Lightning were left at the kotatsu both laughing when he walked in.  
‘Isn’t it past your bedtime?’ Shura chuckled peering up at him as he tapped over to them.  
‘It’s past mine,’ Mr Okumura called grumpily as he passed the doorway. Shura laughed some more as she wriggled from under the blanket and stood stumbling a little. Suguro averted his eyes quickly – the angle at which she’d stood had given him a direct view down her dress.  
She followed Mr Okumura down the corridor out of sight and Lightning was looking up at him now. Suguro felt himself smiling stupidly.  
‘What’s up?’ Lightning murmured smiling back at him.  
‘I just forgot my phone,’ he shrugged.  
‘Oh yeah?’ Lightning smirked sliding a phone – his phone – from his hip pocket and tapping it against his chin thoughtfully. ‘Sit down,’ he grinned, sliding the device across the table.  
‘Thanks,’ Suguro said, sitting knee bumping Lightning’s beneath the table, unlocking his phone to find an image of Shura, Lightning and Mephisto all grinning as his background. He raised his eyebrows at Lightning who laughed. He looked sort of cute in his reindeer jumper, it made Suguro feel weirdly warm to look at him.  
‘So you’re going home, huh?’ Lightning asked and Suguro could feel the other watching him.  
‘I won’t if you need–’ he started but Lightning spoke over him.  
‘I think a bit of time away from each other could be a good thing,’ he spoke quietly but Suguro could hear the words ringing in his ears as though he’d shouted. He looked at Lightning opened mouthed, his throat suddenly burning. ‘Things have been pretty intense between us for a couple of months,’ Lightning continued not looking at him, ‘time to… y’know centre yourself is a good thing.’  
‘I’m not going to change my mind about anything,’ Suguro said louder than he’d intended, feeling his face flushing again.  
‘That’s not what I’m saying,’ Lightning murmured fingertips tracing lightly over Suguro’s inner wrist, ‘what I am saying is – having time to… be aware of what you’re feeling and think about that, without me adding another layer of confusion, is a positive thing.’ Suguro looked at him – eyes low, shoulders hunched and sucking his lip. His fingers curled around the sleeve of his jumper like a child.  
‘And the same for you?’ Suguro asked after a moment, struck, the tight knot in his stomach unfurling a little.  
‘Yeah,’ Lightning agreed quietly after another moment. Suguro squeezed his wrist comfortingly, realising that perhaps he wasn’t the one that needed breathing room.  
‘Can we still…’ Suguro started awkwardly but Lightning was smirking at him now so he stopped talking.  
‘You look cute,’ Lightning murmured, reaching out to tug at one of the antlers Suguro realised he was still wearing. Maybe he was a little drunk Suguro thought suddenly, looking at the way he was leant on the table head rested lazily on his hand.  
‘That’s my line,’ he muttered flushing and shifting forwards onto his knees chuckling as he pulled the headband from his head. He slid it onto Lighting’s so the band held back his messy fringe. Lightning rolled his eyes, strands of dark hair falling loose. Inspired Suguro grabbed his phone and snapped a picture before Lightning could pull the antlers off.  
‘Delete that,’ he ordered, flattening his hair out but Suguro shook his head. The evening had left him buoyant and a little reckless. Lightning snorted softly. He shifted suddenly onto all fours catching one of Suguro’s bare feet and tugging so he had to catch himself quickly on his hands.  
‘Delete it or else,’ he laughed diving clumsily over Suguro trapping him half under the table and half under his body. Suguro tried to shove him back but not hard and Lightning sat heavily on his chest attempting to get him in an armlock.  
Suguro shoved him again, less gently, rolling them and soon they were wrestling, gasping and laughing breathlessly. Though Suguro was the taller Lightning was heavier and would have pinned him if they had not somehow started kissing.  
Suguro could feel Lightning’s grip on him soften, thighs relaxing so that they cradled his body and one hand cupping his skull while the other held his buttock squeezing to encourage the roll of his hips. Lightning’s mouth was hot as he placed wet kisses all over his face and down his throat. Suguro groaned, wishing they were naked again. Lightning seemed to be thinking the same, both hands pulling up his t-shirt.  
At the sound of a high-pitched chime Suguro flinched, stilling.  
‘Shit,’ Lightning hissed pushing him back a split second before Shura reappeared at the door.  
‘I’m leaving,’ she yawned, stretching her arms above her head, ‘want to walk me back to my room?’ she was leaning against the doorframe her body artlessly curving as she grinned at Lightning. Suguro couldn’t look at him feeling a flush creeping up his throat, erection still throbbing between his legs.  
‘Don’t you live in this building?’ Lightning snorted standing anyway and Suguro fought the urge to glare at him. He wasn’t stupid; he knew it looked far less suspicious for Lightning to play along. Even if it made half of him want to punch something – maybe more than half.  
‘Can’t be too careful,’ she pouted as Lightning laughed and Suguro could see his hand fit into the curve of her back as they moved out of sight.  
He waited until he was sure they would be gone from the corridor then left as silently as he entered. 

Shima was still reading when he slipped back into their room. Konekomaru was already curled on his side snoring softly.  
‘You find it?’ Shima murmured, glancing up only briefly from his book.  
‘Yeah,’ Suguro grunted, pulling off his hoodie and kicking off his trainers.  
‘You okay man?’ Shima asked peering at him now, evidently sensing his dark mood.  
‘Yeah,’ Suguro grunted again, climbing into his bed and rolling over. Although he couldn’t see it he knew Shima would be rolling his eyes at his back. Even though it was petty, he switched his phone off before stuffing it into the draw beside his bed. Trying to push away the thought of what exactly Lightning might be doing at that moment he closed his eyes, temples throbbing.

As if from a distance Suguro could hear a heavy pounding. He opened his eyes blearily wondering if he’d woken with the headache he’d had the night before.  
‘What… is that?’ Konekomaru slurred, blinking short-sightedly over his covers. Suguro sat up, realising the pounding was coming from the other side of their door, as Shima yawned rolling over too.  
‘If that’s Okumura I’m going to annihilate him,’ Shima groaned wriggling deeper into his blankets. Suguro staggered upright moving towards the door.  
‘Be careful, Bon,’ Konekomaru said, quickly climbing out of bed too and pulling on his glasses.  
‘I don’t think Satan knocks, Koneko,’ Shima’s muffled voice told him. Suguro pulled the door open and Lightning nearly fell through it. He was grinning at him, dressed for jogging but pale and yawning.  
‘Ryuji,’ he grinned, ‘I thought you’d be up already.’  
‘What are you–’ Suguro started shocked.  
‘We’ve got a running date, remember?’ he smirked, indicating his clothes and scuffed trainers. Suguro looked at him silently for a moment. He knew he being was unfair. He knew they’d both be worse off if their relationship came to light. But he couldn’t quite swallow the burning feeling in his throat. He could see Lightning squirm a little scratching the back of his neck self-consciously.  
‘Come on,’ he murmured, so softly Suguro was sure he was only one that heard it.  
‘I’ll get dressed,’ he grunted turning abruptly. Lightning waited for him, leaning against the door checking his phone yawning.  
‘Did you have a good time at the Christmas party, Sensei?’ Konekomaru asked politely, switching on his computer.  
‘Yeah,’ Lightning shrugged smiling, ‘made me a little homesick to be honest, Christmas is a big deal in the US.’ Suguro glanced at him surprised by the answer as he pulled on his trainers but he was still looking at the screen as he spoke.  
Suguro moved to the door and Lightning grinned back at him moving out of the way. Suguro walked stiffly a little ahead of him until they reached the path outside. It was still dark and the air was icy. Suguro glanced at him once before taking off on his usual route. With every step he could feel the burning feeling lessening, the throbbing in his chest slowing.  
‘Okay,’ Lightning panted catching up with him a second later, heavy breaths pouring out of him in a white cloud, ‘I’ll level with you – the running thing was just to get you alone.’  
‘Yeah?’ Suguro muttered not slowing as they rounded a corner.  
‘Yeah,’ Lightning grunted.  
They continued in silence for what Suguro guessed was about an hour, twice around his usual route, but he didn’t feel like stopping. At last he glanced sidelong at Lightning. He was pink but keeping up t-shirt dark with sweat between his pecks and under his arms. He relented his pace and they slowed to a walk, Lightning dropping an arm around him, clutching at his ribs panting hard.  
‘Nothing happened,’ Lightning told him as they trotted back towards True Cross campus.  
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Suguro mumbled, although he was suddenly finding it difficult to swallow again, ‘it’s not like we’re–’.  
‘I respect you too much,’ Lightning interrupted and Suguro failed to catch a sob in his throat. And Lightning, though he was wet with sweat and they were in full view of a row of opening shops, hugged Suguro against him hard.  
‘What did you say?’ Suguro found himself hiccupping into his shoulder. Though he knew he’d be better not knowing he couldn’t help himself.  
‘I told her I was hung up on someone else,’ Lightning muttered into his ear and Suguro could feel his heart throb. Holding him close like this, Lightning felt good and even sort of smelt good, his sweat smelling sharp but masculine.  
‘Come back with me,’ Lightning murmured into his hair, ‘I don’t like it when you’re upset,’ he added so quietly Suguro wasn’t sure he’d said it. Suguro nodded, pressing his forehead to Lightning’s neck. Lightning hummed moving back a little, leaving his arm looped around him, and beginning to trot back to the True Cross campus. 

Lightning’s phone rang as he was unlocking the door to his private rooms so Suguro went to fill the bath with water. While waiting he settled on the edge of the sink, flicking through Lightning’s copy of a collection of essay his Aria instructor had suggested to him. He could hear Lightning voice rising and falling in his smooth drawl and realised he must be speaking English.  
‘Sorry Ryuji. Ah! Thank you,’ he smiled when he trotted into the bathroom, ‘I don’t remember being this popular when I was there in Rome,’ he grumbled turning his phone off.  
‘Get in,’ Suguro ordered when Lightning glanced at him. He scrunched up his nose a little but complied, peeling sweat damp clothes of his skin. Suguro tried to keep his eyes trained on the book of essays. But beneath his lashes he could Lightning looked hot from the run, skin moist and hair curling at the nape of his neck.  
‘Reading?’ he murmured, sinking to the water and peering at Suguro.  
‘Umhumm,’ Suguro muttered, glancing up at him only briefly feeling his cheeks heat at the smirk Lightning was giving him. Lightning snorted softly laying back in the water closing his eyes.  
Suguro turned his page and was distracted by his irritation that so many ancient Arias had to written their seminal works in Latin. His Latin was improving but on the spot translation was a guaranteed migraine.  
He glanced at the back of Lightning’s head speculatively. He’d only been settled in the water for a few minutes and it was more than likely asking him to translate would have him out of it again.  
‘Don’t move,’ Suguro ordered, moving into Lightning’s eye line and perching on the lip of the tub book on his lap.  
‘The water’s too hot,’ Lightning grumbled. Suguro had to admit he did look flushed, dark hair sticking damply to his forehead. He felt a flicker of arousal but quickly looked down his page, reminding himself Lightning needed to wash and that necessitated him being naked… and wet.  
‘Can you translate this?’ he asked, holding out the book open at his page, ‘don’t get it wet,’ he said quickly when Lightning shifted closer bringing a small tidal wave with him.  
‘Aqua means water,’ he said thoughtfully after a moment’s peering and Suguro rolled his eyes.  
‘I thought you were fluent!’ he growled as Lightning grinned at him.  
‘I need my dictionary,’ he shrugged, ‘I can get it!’ he made to climb out of the bath but Suguro blocked him, one hand gripping his bare shoulder. He removed it quickly.  
‘Nope, you stay there,’ he grunted, swallowing at Lightning’s gleaming smile.  
‘Can you get in then?’ Lightning murmured, Suguro could feel his cheeks burn, ‘–I’m bored,’ Lightning added with a smirk.  
‘I’m reading,’ Suguro told him gruffly but didn’t get up from his perch.  
‘I’ll wash you back,’ Lightning wheeled.  
‘Will you help with the translation?’ he asked standing and stowing the book out of splashing distance.  
‘I will help you with anything, Ryuji,’ Lightning told him cheerfully, ‘even if you don’t take your clothes off.’ Suguro flushed but felt his body soften, touched. He wriggled out of his t-shirt aware of Lightning’s gleaming eyes on him, and then pushed his jogging bottoms and underwear down in one. He kicked his feet loose and crouched to pull off his socks.  
‘Is the door locked?’ Lightning murmured and Suguro moved over to check, wishing his half hard cock wasn’t bouncing so noticeably.  
‘Move up then,’ he told Lightning as he returned, bare feet tapping on the tiles and a hand hovering self-consciously over his crotch. Lightning shifted, water sloshing, and Suguro climbing carefully into the bath. It was hotter than he’d expected but perhaps that was Lightning’s eyes on him, sliding wet calves over his thighs so they could lay concertina in the water. Lightning chuckled and Suguro blushed, feeling sweat pricking on his hairline. He cupped water in his hands, wetting his hair, his chest and the back of his neck aware of Lightning watching with interest. Suguro smiled at him a little, wanting touch his wet skin.  
‘Do want to ask me anything?’ Lightning said softly after a moment, ‘–about last night,’ he added when Suguro frowned at him. Suguro looked down feeling his heart rate pick up. ‘You can ask anything you want to,’ Lightning murmured.  
‘There isn’t,’ he shook his head, glancing at the other, ‘it just made me feel…’ he stopped sucking his lip throat burning again. Lightning didn’t speak head bowed, hands in his lap fingers interlaced. It was an oddly grave pose for a person naked and folded in a bath.  
‘You’re the person I want spend time with,’ Lightning told his curled toes, ‘but we’re in an… uncommon situation. And it might not feel like it but… I’m… I’m trying to do the best thing for both of us,’ Suguro nodded stiffly, ‘even if that isn’t what either of us wants.’  
‘Like me going back to Kyoto?’ he mumbled unable to keep catch from his voice but Lightning didn’t seem to notice, ‘yeah like that,’ he agreed, reaching to push Suguro’s dripping hair back a little smiling.  
‘Are we okay?’ Lightning asked him softly.  
‘Yeah,’ Suguro nodded feeling his body relax a little. Lightning’s soft voice when he said he wanted him had unfurled arousal in his stomach and he wanted to wrap his arms around him.  
‘Want me to wash your back?’ Lightning murmured and Suguro nodded.  
Clumsily he twisted, Lightning giggling, feet slipping against the smooth sides of the tub as he tried to get them out of the way. Finally Suguro could feel Lightning’s wet hands settle on his shoulders and his legs him encircling, one foot dangling out of the tub. He could feel Lightning’s naked chest against his back, thighs squeezing his hips and something hot and blunt pressing against the base of his spine.  
‘Do you feel okay?’ he murmured, damp breath on Suguro’s ear.  
‘Yeah,’ he murmured. He sucked his lip, his skin tingling with sensation. Lightning hummed, stroking his hands over his smooth wet shoulders down his biceps and forearms, gently squeezing his wrists before tracing his hands back up again. Suguro shivered and Lightning kissed his neck.  
Lightning slipped his hands down the front of his body this time, thumbs brushing his nipples making him gasp.  
‘You like that?’ he muttered softly, stroking back up his abdomen.  
‘Yes,’ he panted as Lightning rolled both sensitive buds between his thumb and forefinger. Suguro arched gasping, head dropping back onto Lightning’s shoulder. He squirmed, cock throbbing, as Lightning repeated the motion sucking his earlobe.  
‘Please,’ he slurred not really sure what he was asking for but when Lightning fitted a hand around his cock this seemed to be the answer. He groaned, thighs pushing wider instinctively, feet slipping against the sides of the bath.  
Lightning’s other hand had slipped between his legs, cupping his balls before tracing lower brushing against sensitive skin. The water softened the sensation a little, making his skin slippery and his muscles relaxed. Lightning pressed a little and Suguro felt his fingertip slide into his body without much resistance. He could feel Lightning panting against his neck, hand slack on his cock.  
His whole body felt like it was quaking now with the epicentre somewhere deep in abdomen sending out glowing waves of arousal at Lightning’s every touch. He squirmed sensitive and excited. Lightning removed his hand rubbing soothing circles into his thigh.  
‘How did that feel?’ he asked quietly.  
‘Good,’ Suguro flushed, ‘I like it.’ He could feel Lightning press his forehead into the nape of his neck. Lightning tapped his thigh like he was thinking then moved his hand lower against. Suguro shifted trying to lift his hips into the touch.  
‘Relax,’ he chuckled nipping his shoulder, ‘I don’t want it to hurt.’  
‘It doesn’t,’ Suguro assured him but did let his body soften and Lightning snorted softly. Suguro stilled feeling the gentle intrusion again, deeper this time and twisting in a way that make Suguro pant through his mouth hips rolling into the small movements. Lightning was mumbling into his hair, hips shifting with his, hand stroking his cock.  
He gasped feeling a tug of pressure as Lightning carefully slipped another finger inside him. Lightning stopped moving but didn’t remove his hand.  
‘Does that hurt?’ he asked. Suguro panted, feeling his heart throbbing hard in his chest. ‘We don’t have to stop if it does,’ he added kissing his shoulder, ‘we’ll just go slower.’  
‘It doesn’t,’ he mumbled, pressing back a little, ‘really, it feels… really good.’ He could feel Lightning smiling against his neck.  
‘You feel really good,’ he muttered, beginning to press into him again. Suguro groaned arching leaning into Lightning stimulation assailing him. Lightning was rocking his hips against his back again and Suguro could feel his cock stroking against his slippery skin. He was kissing down his neck, licking and biting at random. Suguro shifted hips back pushing down a little and Lightning gave a sharp gasp, teeth sinking into the thick part of his shoulder and Suguro groaned.  
The hand stroking his cock moving faster now firm strokes making him quiver. He was close, body clenching around Lightning’s knuckles. Then Lightning twisted his hand and Suguro felt an orgasm hit like a bolt of electricity up his spine. He gasped arching almost out of the water.  
He panted leaning forward elbows on his knees, Lightning having carefully removed his hand.  
‘You okay?’ Lightning murmured rubbing an open palm over his back. Suguro nodded, still feeling a little delirious in the afterglow.  
‘Do you want me to…?’ he asked, half turning finding Lightning was pink and grinning at him.  
‘I uh already…’ he spread his hands laughing and Suguro flushed.  
They exited the bath with some difficulty and Suguro insisted they rinse off with the showerhead although Lightning complained that he was already clean.  
‘You going to hang out for a bit?’ Lightning asked gently, padding into his study dressed only in the towel Suguro had tucked around him.  
‘I said I’d run through the Aria exam with Koneko,’ he said and remembering with groan as he spoke, ‘and I’ve got a student council meeting this afternoon.’ Lightning sighed sprawling on the sofa in his customary spot. Suguro watched the desire to lay down beside him almost overwhelming. ‘Can I borrow something?’ he asked glancing at his sweat stained t-shirt, ‘I’ve only got my gym stuff.’  
‘Go ahead,’ Lightning murmured already sounding half asleep.  
‘Did you eat breakfast?’ Suguro called from the bedroom, pulling a faded t-shirt, a fraying hoodie with a large True Cross logo on the back and jogging bottoms with a hole in one knee from one of the large chests. The dreamcatcher was spinning eerily at him from across the room and he left quickly to dress in the study with Lightning.  
‘Did you eat?’ he asked again pulling on the t-shirt while Lightning watched him yawning.  
‘Yes,’ he murmured, rolling away from him into the sofa.  
‘When?’ Suguro asked unconvinced.  
‘Yesterday,’ he grunted.  
‘That’s what you said yesterday,’ he grumbled frowning at the other man now.  
‘It’s fine,’ he sighed, turning back to him now so Suguro could see his gleaming eyes, ‘you don’t need to worry, Ryuji – this is pretty normal for me.’  
‘Everyone has to eat – you have to eat,’ Suguro said quietly, prodding at Lightning’s bare ribs.  
‘I do,’ Lightning smiled at him, ‘I will,’ he added softening.  
‘I’ll bring you something later,’ Suguro told him firmly and Lightning nodded grinning a little now.  
‘You’re taking good care of me,’ he chuckled kissing the palms of both his hands.  
‘You’re precious,’ Suguro muttered, scratching his damp hair. Lightning stilled and Suguro suddenly had that tingling throbbing feeling he’d had once before. But then Lightning was smirked up at him.  
‘You use that line on all the girls?’ he laughed, wicked eyes on his face.  
‘You’re not a girl,’ Suguro found himself saying stupidly, distracted by the thud of his heartbeat.  
‘You’ve noticed?’ he snorted, ‘okay, get going – I might even start my marking.’ Suguro snorted too, folding up his dirty clothes and pushing his feet back into his trainers. He bent to Lightning, brushing his hair back off his face and kissing him gently on the mouth. Lightning was watching him with an unreadable expression when he pulled back but he didn’t speak.  
‘Later,’ he called pulling the door closed behind him. He trotted back to the dormitory hands stuffed in the pockets of Lightning’s hoodie and breath curling on the freezing air.


	5. Chapter 5

‘Bon, good evening,’ Gozo smiled coming to sit next to Suguro as the remnants of the New Year Eve’s meal were tidied. Suguro smiled back as the man clapped him on the shoulder.  
‘I like the hair,’ he grinned ruffled Suguro’s undercut as he shoved him off laughing, ‘how come you cut it? Have you got a girl or something?’  
‘No,’ Suguro grunted at which Gozo laughed, eyes dancing as he ran them the length of the table. They lingered on the cluster of Exwires – Rin in animated conversation with Shiemi and Konekomaru.   
‘Come on you can tell me,’ he wheedled, ‘is it the blond one or the one with the eyebrows?’  
‘Neither!’ Suguro growled, feeling a flush creep up his throat, ‘I’m not going out with anyone.’   
‘Yeah, yeah,’ Gozo chuckled then glancing behind them, ‘so…’ he muttered, eyes moving down the length of the table with more care this time, ‘you’re Lightning’s student now, I hear?’ Suguro peered at him surprised by his sudden change of tone.  
‘Yeah…’ he shrugged. Flushing as he wondered what Gozo would say if he knew the exact nature of their relationship. When he glanced up, Gozo was watching him closely.   
‘Honestly, I’m surprised,’ he said after another long moment inspecting him, ‘he’s kind of a weird guy.’ Suguro frowned, ‘We were in class together when I took the Aria Exam,’ he explained and Suguro’s eyes widened, curiosity piqued, ‘he used to scare the Hell out of everyone with his Summonings.’   
Suguro didn’t speak, mouth suddenly dry, thinking of Lightning’s Circular Saw as Gozo regarded him with silent concern. He was saved from further conversation, however, by the arrival of a slightly unsteady groom – nearly tipping the entire contents of his glass into Suguro’s lap as he flopped down between them.  
‘Gozo! Bon!’ he declared loudly, ‘isn’t my betrothed beautiful?’ he asked gesticulating at a frowning Mamushi who half stood to join them but Gozo smiled with small quelling gesture and she returned to the conversation with her sisters and mother-in-law to be.   
‘You’re a lucky man,’ Gozo chuckled, carefully extracting the now dripping glass from his hand and setting it on the table.  
‘I know it,’ Juzo agreed hand pressing over his heart, ‘I don’t know what good I’ve done to deserve it.’ Suguro smiled little. ‘And what are you and the young master talking about so secret, Gozo, huh?’  
‘I was congratulating Bon on his apprenticeship to Lightning,’ Gozo smiled but it looked at little forced and Suguro realised their conversation was meant to have been a private one.   
‘Oh!’ Juzo laughed, reminding him strongly of Shima, ‘and what’s Master Lightning been teaching you then, Bon, the thumbscrews is it?’   
‘Juzo,’ Gozo growled at his brother but Juzo gave a slightly drunken chuckle.  
‘Y’know they used to call him “The Torturer” before they called him Lightning?’ he grinned at Suguro who snorted – it sounded so ridiculous. But there was a roaring in his ears and his throat was burning. And whatever else Juzo had to say Suguro knew he didn’t want to hear it. He’d seen enough of Lightning’s actions first hand to know he didn’t want to hear it. It wasn’t like he needed telling Lightning that had hurt people, had maybe even killed people.  
‘Juzo – be respectful,’ Gozo grumbled, glancing around them again, ‘that guy is an Arch Knight y’know, not to mention he’s Bon’s master.’ He glanced at Suguro, who could feel his face flush trying to swallow the burning in his throat.   
‘Oh shut up!’ Juzo grunted, rolling dark eyes, ‘you used to call him that, just like we all did – speak to anyone from the Chinese branch, even our own people were terrified of him and his Sylphs.’ Uncomfortably Suguro remembered Lightning grinning as he admitted he’d been called a demon as a child. ‘But I guess he’s mellowed now he’s the Paladin’s right hand,’ Juzo shrugged, ‘I don’t know what he wants with you though, Bon.’ Both brothers peered at him and Suguro felt his face heat thinking of Lightning’s curving mouth on his.   
‘I don’t know either…’ he stammered, ‘I asked him… I asked him to take me on as an apprentice and I completely failed at this card game test thing and after that he said okay,’ Suguro mumbled then added, feeling his cheeks heat, ‘ – I’ve never met anyone like him.’   
‘Sounds like a quite a crush,’ Juzo smirked ruffling his hair now too as Suguro batted him away.   
‘Lightning is a superb Exorcist,’ Gozo smiled at him tightly, ‘and you could learn a great deal from him but not all of his reputation is good.’  
‘But whose is?’ Juzo snorted taking sip of his retrieved drink.   
‘Just take care of yourself,’ Gozo sighed as though he thought he was being over-protective, ‘and remember you always have us and your parents – whatever’s been said or done.’ And when Gozo looked at him this time it was a though he was peering directly into his soul.  
‘Yeah, sure,’ Suguro nodded awkwardly, trying to swallow the sudden thickness in his throat. Just then he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and checked it to see 'Lewin Light' scrolling across the screen.   
'Speak of the Devil,' Juzo chuckled.  
‘I have to take this,’ he muttered getting up and slipping from the room, aware of dark watchful eyes on his back.

Suguro groaned as he sank in his knees into the futon then dropping face-first into the bedding. The wedding preparations alone had been exhausting but the New Year festivities and impromptu Stag party had left him additionally tired and bruised. He rolled on his back, patting down his pockets for his phone to set an alarm – his mother insisted they all had to be up before dawn to help.   
He groaned at the time, for the amount of sleep he’d get it hardly seemed worth the effort it would take to undress. He stretched out, arms above his head, back arching – ribs aching where he’d been hit by an enthusiastic swipe of Kinzo’s K’rik. The weird conversation at dinner, the rough sparring and the half glass of beer he’d had earlier had left him in a kind of restless state that made him want Lightning badly.   
He checked his messages, tapping automatically on ‘Lewin Light’. Typing out – I miss you – and tapping send before his sluggish brain had really begun processing. Realising what he'd done Suguro groaned again, reading back the message in all its ill-advised neediness. He wasn’t even sure what response he wanted to that. Hoping Lightning would be asleep, not unlikely, and wouldn’t see the message until the morning Suguro closed his eyes. 

Suguro became aware he was awake in stages. First he was aware that there was something heavy sitting on him then he noticed a warm exhale close to his cheek. His eyes flicked open, though there was barely a difference between the darkened room and the inside or his eye lids. A shadow moved. Before he could shout a pair of fingerless gloved hands closed over his mouth.   
‘Wakey-wakey,’ Lightning whispered, breath hot and loud in his ear. Suguro gave a muffled groan, heart pounding in his chest. Catching him by the forearms Suguro squirmed to get out from under him but Lightning only pinned him more effectively giggling as him did.   
‘What are you doing?!’ he hissed through his teeth when he finally succeeded in removing Lightning’s hands from his mouth.   
‘I thought I’d surprise you,’ Lightning snickered and Suguro pushed at his chest ineffectively, huffing out a sigh in frustration. He could see the gleam of the other’s teeth in the low light. Though he was beyond exasperating, Suguro couldn’t help softening a little as Lightning’s body heat began to seep into him. The heavy weight on his pelvis contrasted deliciously with the moist excited breathing on his cheek. His hips shifted up almost unconsciously before a soft snore reminded him they were far from alone.   
Barely more than a body’s length from where Lightning was sat astride him Shima lay curled on his side and on the other side of him, snoring quietly, lay Konekomaru.   
‘Hmm?’ Lightning mouthed hot against his ear, ‘maybe there’s a problem here I can help you with.’ Suguro could hear him lick his lips as his hand slid down his beneath Suguro’s quilt and between his thighs cupping him through his underwear.   
‘Stop,’ he whispered, squirming, ‘please, they’ll wake up,’ he panted when Lightning didn’t.   
‘It’s okay,’ Lightning murmured, still breathing into his ear, ‘I’m good at making people forget things.’   
‘Don’t say that,’ Suguro choked out and Lightning sat back head tipped a little to the side.   
‘You okay?’ he muttered and Suguro could almost see him frowning in the dark.   
‘Fine,’ he shrugged, irritated, as much as he could trapped by Lightning’s knees and his own winter quilt.  
‘Okay,’ Lightning shrugged too, ‘well, we can talk about it when you get back.’ He made to move off him but Suguro held him one hand fisting his poncho.   
‘Come with me,’ he muttered wiggling from beneath the quilt. He shivered, dressed for sleeping in only a t-shirt and his underwear, and could see Lightning’s teeth gleaming again in the half dark.   
When they stood side by side Suguro noticed Lightning was strangely both barefoot but also dressed in his thickest and smelliest poncho, with his muddy boots tied at the laces and hanging around his neck.   
‘Why aren’t you wearing shoes?’ he frowned as he hustled the other clumsy and giggling from the room.  
‘They’re noisy,’ Lightning told him cheerfully and Suguro rolled in his eyes, unseen in the dark, wondering if anything could actually be noisier than Lightning himself.   
‘How come you’re here?’ was Suguro’s next muttered question as he led him, like a sleepwalker, holding both his wrists lightly. Feeling his cheeks burn and suddenly regretting asking as he remembered the text.  
‘I wanted to see you,’ Lighting said lightly, making him flush more.  
‘This way,’ he muttered in response leading Lightning’s through corridors he would have been able to trace blind – lucky considering it was pitch black in the early hours of the new year.   
As they walked he thought, wondering where he could take his midnight visitor with the entire Ryokan stuffed to the rafters with wedding guests. The antechamber off the central hall, he decided, where his father would dress in his robes for the ceremony tomorrow. It was probably the furthest for prying eyes and ears as they were likely to get.   
‘Don’t touch anything,’ he muttered, pushing Lightning gently into the room ahead of him and drawing the door across as quietly as he could. Inside the room it was just dark enough that distinguishing Lightning’s features was difficult but he could easily trace his silhouette against the pale coloured of the walls.   
His father’s ceremonial robes stood a silent reproach on the stand in the centre of the room broad sleeves wide, and richly dyed threads glinting in the low light, like a butterfly under glass.   
‘Should we be in here?’ Lightning asked peering at him through the half dark, teeth gleaming.   
‘You shouldn’t be here at all,’ he murmured back folding his arms, ‘I thought you were working on something.’   
‘I am,’ Lightning chuckled, moving back to the door and patting down his pockets until he found a snapped stick of green chalk.   
‘No!’ Suguro hissed reaching to grab him as Lightning traced a circle on the screen of the door.  
‘It’ll come out,’ he flapped a hand, scrawling several symbols Suguro recognised and several he did not around the circumference of his circle.   
‘What is it?’ Suguro groaned, hoping Lightning wasn’t planning on doing one of his flashy summoning right then.   
‘Makes the perimeter of the room a barrier,’ he grinned, ‘I don’t want us to be interrupted.’ Chuckling he stepped towards Suguro making him nearly knock over the stand in his hurry to retreat.   
‘Careful,’ Lightning smiled catching him by the elbows, ‘shouldn’t those be kept at the temple?’ he added eyes on the robes. Suguro pulled the collar, where he’d brushed it, a little straighter and smoothing the fabric.   
‘Dad brought them down for the ceremony tomorrow,’ he shrugged then smiled to himself, ‘I think he’s kind of nervous.’ Lightning chuckled.  
‘When my dad did the service for my brother’s wedding,’ he laughed as he remembered, circling the robes, ‘he forgot my brother’s name.’ Suguro snorted softly, glancing at him surprised.   
‘Your dad’s a priest?’ he asked curious, ‘is he an Exorcist too?’ His fingertips tingled as he wondered if the other would answer. Though he seemed laidback about everything, Suguro had hardly ever heard Lightning speak about his family.   
‘No,’ Lightning laughed, ‘I mean yeah he’s a priest, but not an Exorcist.’ Suguro made a soft noise of interest tracking Lightning as he circled the stand so they were always on opposite sides. He stayed silent for another moment waiting to see if Lightning would say more. ‘I don’t see him a lot,’ Lightning added in a mutter after a minute. Suguro had opened his mouth to ask why when Lightning turned sudden and smirking backing him away from the stand.   
‘So how’d you get here?’ he gulped as Lightning finally succeed in backing him into a low table  
‘It’s a secret,’ Lightning winked, showing him a single golden key from the heavy bunch he had constantly stuffed in the inner pocket of his Exorcist uniform jacket. With a thrill Suguro realised he must have a Master Key, which allowed him move between each of the True Cross Branch Offices. It was rumoured there was only one in existence – and that it belonged to the serving Paladin. He sincerely hoped Lightning hadn’t stolen a precious artefact to pay him a late night visit.   
Trapped, Lightning’s hands on his hips, Suguro exhaled as dark hair brush against his flushed cheek. He wondered if Lightning was going to start kissing him now, unable to prevent himself leaning a little into the other’s body.   
Lightning did a sort of awkward shrug and then wrapped his arms around his shoulders and Suguro’s came up quickly to loop around his waist. They hugged hard, Lightning’s chin digging into his shoulder.   
‘I didn’t realise you not being around would feel like this,’ he spoke quietly and Suguro could feel his heartrate spike.   
‘It’s only been a day,’ he muttered, amused, liking the rough feeling of Lightning’s stubble against his cheek.   
‘Ummm,’ Lightning groaned, hugging him closer nose pressing beneath his jawline, ‘what can I say…’ he chuckled, ‘I’m needy.’ Suguro laughed too, wishing Lightning would remove more of his outdoor clothes, or perhaps all of them. Not only did his poncho smell sourly of some sort of animal, but hugging him in it was like embracing a bear.   
‘Can I take this off?’ he asked pulling at the wool and Lightning laughed letting him strip off the poncho and dangling boots, as well as his Exorcist uniform jacket. Then he pulled at the hem of his t-shirt and Lightning let him pull it up over his head wincing.  
‘It’s freezing,’ he shivered hugging himself tightly. Thinking to warm him Suguro reached out self-consciously fingertips brushing the centre of his chest. Lightning softened his grip on himself letting him rub across his chest and shoulders with both hands. Suguro blushed feeling taught nipples brush against his palms.   
‘You can kiss me if you want to,’ Lightning murmured lips brushing the shell of his ear and Suguro turned into him clumsily, mouth meeting the other’s in a wet excited kiss.   
Kissing him back, both hands carefully cupping his head, Lightning slid a thigh up between his so that he could feel rough denim through the thin fabric of his underwear. He was rubbing himself unashamedly along the length of Lightning’s thigh, wanting to press every part of his body against the other. Giving him a final firm kiss, Lightning pulled back slightly catching his hips and sinking to his knees.  
‘What are you–’ Suguro began to ask before Lightning’s shadowed face grinned up at him and he began wriggling Suguro’s underwear down his legs. He had to bite his fist to stop himself shouting when Lightning slid his cock into his mouth.   
He groaned, thighs trembling, as his body was assailed with sensation. Whirling with arousal he could barely keep himself upright but didn’t trust the paper walls to support his weight. So he leant into Lightning instead, both hands gripping his shoulders letting them take his weight. He panted revealing in the softness and the burning heat of Lightning’s mouth as it slid around him.   
Both of Lightning’s hands cupped his buttocks squeezing and releasing them like he was barely aware of doing it. His hands felt warm, fingerless gloves rough against his unusually bare skin. With a tingling rush Suguro steeled himself cleared his throat.   
‘Can you…’ he started nervous and Lightning leaned back to peer at him. ‘Can you do that thing with your fingers again?’ he asked, feeling himself flush from head to toe, ‘like when we were in the bath,’ he clarified flushing harder. Lightning was still looking at him in the semi-dark.  
‘You liked that?’ he asked, voice somehow both soft and rough making Suguro’s cock throb.   
‘Yeah,’ he admitted gruffly.   
‘Okay,’ Lightning grinned, leaning to retrieve his jacket and beginning to rifle through the pockets. Suguro waited nervously as Lightning unscrewed and sniffed at what looked like a tube of toothpaste that he’d extracted from his jacket.   
As Suguro watched Lightning slipped off his gloves and sat up grinning at him again.  
‘This stuff will warm up, okay?’ he assured him, sliding his fingers between Suguro’s buttocks making him squeak as they left something cold and slippery in their wake. Lightning shushed him kissing his stomach and hips, licking his thighs and cock again.   
His mouth was so distracting Suguro barely noticed a pair of slick fingers sliding into him. He groaned, not sure if he wanted to push back or thrust forward more. Lightning’s mouth was encircling him now, his fingers curling in a way that made his head spin. At first they were out of sync but Lightning stilled letting him settle into a rhythm before sliding into him again.   
Panting and overstimulated Suguro could feel the muscles in his thighs twitch as electricity flickered in the back of his brain. Lightning’s mouth continued moving smooth and hot as it slipped over his intimate skin. It was almost unbearable the small twists of Lightning’s fingers sending shockwaves over his body. His stomach contracted as he fought to remain in control, but then Lightning was pushing deeper into his body as he pushed Suguro’s cock still deeper into his own mouth.   
He gasped, trying to pull back as the orgasm hit but Lightning held him and it broke over him like a tidal wave. Hazily he could feel his body clutch at Lightning as he carefully removed his hand. Lightheaded Suguro staggered as little, black spots popping behind his eyes, as Lightning moved back. He swore but Suguro had already fallen, mercifully missing the stand but landing heavily on the other still trembling with aftershocks.   
‘You okay?’ Lightning asked wheezing a little and Suguro guessed he’d been winded.   
‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ he mumbled pulling himself up into a kneeling position, before being trapped by his own underwear. He groaned, pulling at the fabric, embarrassed. Chuckling Lightning took over hands slipping under his, carefully drawing them down his legs and off. Suguro flushed, naked below the waist and still where he’d landed, in mostly in Lightning’s lap. He could feel the heat from Lightning’s groin on his bare skin. Sitting up too Lightning leaned in to kiss him.   
‘You want to give me a hand?’ he murmured, fingertips stroking over his wrist and palm guiding it to his suddenly open jeans. Suguro touched him, stroking along the length, enjoying the smooth heat of his skin. Lightning groaned, pressing forehead against the place when Suguro’s shoulder met his neck. With each of Suguro’s strokes his hips twitched upwards. Suguro leant into him, revealing in the softness of his dark hair, smelling the sweat in the dips of his collar bones, watching the muscles flex in his chest as he worked himself in his fist.  
He couldn’t help wondering how it would feel to have that pushing into his body. His body that was currently slicked and stretched – as ready for him as it could be. He paused in his strokes, swallowing the throbbing that had moved from his chest to his throat.   
‘You okay?’ Lightning murmured rubbing his cheek against Suguro’s, one hand slipping between his legs to squeeze himself as though he couldn’t bear lack of contact.  
‘Can we try something else?’ Suguro mumbled.  
‘Hmm?’ Lightning murmured, voice deep with arousal leaning in to kiss him on the mouth. Suguro pressed into him briefly before pulling back and turning away from him.   
‘What are you up to, huh?’ Lightning snorted kissing his shoulders through his t-shirt and the back of his neck up to his close-cropped hairline. Suguro shifted back until he was sure his buttocks were pressing against Lightning’s stomach.   
‘What are you doing?’ he asked again voice a little rougher this time and Suguro could feel him cup his hip before letting go quickly.   
‘Can we do it like this?’ Suguro asked softly pressing back into Lightning feeling something hot and blunt brush his inner thigh. He could feel Lightning exhale on the back of his neck and shivered just slightly.   
‘We can,’ Lightning panted and Suguro moaned in spite of himself. He could feel Lightning press his forehead into the nape of his neck, ‘but… you need to tell me if anything I’m doing is making you uncomfortable – at any point – okay?’  
‘I will,’ Suguro confirmed and Lightning hugged him brief and hard.   
Now knelt behind him, Lightning stroked his soft cock and up his stomach pulling Suguro’s t-shirt over his head. The room was cold and even cuddled close to the other’s body it was cool enough to lift the fine hairs on his arms. He could hear Lightning rearranging himself, knees rustling the mats, and could feel the heat from his body on the back of his thighs.   
As Lightning’s fingers slipped into his body again and he panted, feeling his cock twitch aroused although it was too soon for him to be ready to come again. Lightning hummed and Suguro could feel him remove his hand.   
‘You sure?’ he breathed into his shoulder and Suguro nodded. He felt a twinge of pressure as Lightning began pushing into his body and lent forwards, half on instinct. He gave a breathless laugh as his knees almost slipped out under him feeling Lightning hips bones brush his buttocks.   
‘We doing okay?’ he murmured and Suguro hummed assent feeling thighs pressing against the back of his. Clenching his fists shivering he dropped his forehead on them, hoping Lightning couldn’t feel his whole body shaking with excess adrenaline at the sensation of being penetrated.   
‘You feel… good,’ Lightning assured him in a gasp, mouth hot against his ear pressing wet clumsy kisses into his neck as he moved on top on him. He could feel Lightning breathing hard across his shoulder blades as he carefully pulled back a little then pushed back. Suguro flushed, panting when he felt Lightning sliding, almost unbearable slowly, deeper into his body.  
Panting through his mouth, Suguro lifted his hips into Lightning’s downwards push. And he hugged Suguro hard against him, one arm tight across his chest with the other hand gently guiding his movements. Suguro could feel the vibration of him moaning deep in his chest and he moaned too. He liked it, like all of it – the undeniable mass of him – pressing against and inside him like he wanted to fuse them into one being.   
Suguro could tell he was getting close – his rhythm was stuttering already. Body throbbing, he moaned trying to stay in sync pushing up into each of his strokes until he matched the other’s pace. Thought the room was still icy, Suguro could feel sweat pricking on his chest and at the base of his spine, his face flushing. Lightning’s hands were burning like a brand where they held him. And the smooth slide of Lightning in and out of his made him breathless. Panting and half delirious, Suguro could feel Lightning rocking into his body faster and faster until were both gasping.   
As he slowed he could feel the other press his forehead into the space between his shoulder blades then he grunted, body contracting and hands clenching on him.   
Lightning stopped moving, still giving small gasps and Suguro felt his heart pounding in his chest, getting cool where sweat was drying on his back and armpits. With care, although it stung anyway, Lightning pulled out of him. Dropping heavily to lie beside him, he looked flush and a little dazed and breathing hard pushing his fringe back off his face.  
‘Okay?’ he panted, eyes flicking to Suguro and one burning palm cupping his cheek.   
‘Yeah,’ he said, a sense of giddy unreality settling around him. How many times had he imagined Lightning just like this? ‘And you?’ he added awkwardly, realising his was still crouched as Lightning had left him and sitting back on his heels.   
‘Never better,’ Lightning smirked sitting up as well then he huffed out a breath scratching the back of his head, ‘Ryuji, can I ask you something?’ Suguro glanced at him. It was difficult to read his expression in the half dark of the room, and he was pretty difficult to read when Suguro could actually see his face.  
‘Yeah,’ he shrugged sucking his lip. He didn’t speak immediately and when Suguro glanced at him again his was picking at a loose thread on his jeans.   
‘Why did you do that?’ he voice was still light but Suguro felt an icy thrill. Swallowing nervously as he flushed, feeling his heartrate pick up again. What could he say? That he’d been fantasising about Lightning doing exactly that for almost as long as he’d known him. He wondered, not for the first time, if Lightning was really processing what was happening between them. Or if he packed it up in some private part of his mind without ever wondering if Suguro did the same. The thought made him want to shake him. He could feel Lightning watching him his agitation almost palpable.   
‘Are you angry?’ Suguro asked surprised and Lightning started laughing. Suguro glanced up hearing a soft chime.   
‘I can’t work you out,’ Lightning admitted still chuckling, ‘I’m not used to it.’  
‘Well there’s a first time for everything,’ he snorted, standing and shaking the numbness out of his legs.  
‘And was that first time?’ Lightning asked voice velvety but his question sharp. And as he retrieved his underwear, Suguro could feel his eyes on him. He shrugged his t-shirt back on considering, back to Lightning as he checked the room for signs of disturbance his father might notice.  
‘Yeah,’ he mumbled quickly and Lightning made a soft noise - Suguro clearly having confirmed what he’d thought. ‘You have to trust me,’ Suguro stated firmly before the other could speak, ‘trust that when I say I want to – I want to.’  
Although he was dressed now the room was still freezing and he could feel the thin fabric of his underwear sticking to the wetness on the back of his leg. He crossed his arms across his chest, hoping Lightning wouldn’t ask him more – not wanting to press too hard at the raw newness of what had just happened between them. There was a kind of burning in his chest and he wasn’t sure if it made him want run from the room or hug Lightning until he couldn’t breathe.  
‘I do trust you, Ryuji,’ he murmured voice softening as Suguro looked up at him, ‘I’m just not good at it.’  
‘Because of what you do for the Vatican?’ he found himself asking, distracted by the thought of his earlier conversation with Shima’s brothers.  
‘I’m investigating the Blue Night for the Vatican…’ Lightning responded flatly and Suguro thought perhaps he’d strayed onto dangerous ground. ‘Where’d that come from?’ he asked standing now as well, buttoning his jeans and wriggling back into his t-shirt and jumper.   
Suguro shrugged but Lightning had stopped dressing to look at him and he could suddenly sense his attention on him like the eyes of an awful god. He shivered.  
‘I heard umm…’ he started, and Lightning remained silent staring at him in the dark, so he ploughed on, ‘someone said you used to be called the Torturer,’ Lightning snorted but didn’t speak, ‘and… you…’ he sighed heavily, ‘…you threatened the monk and he died and I don’t know how I feel about that.’ Lightning was silent for another moment and Suguro could feel his pulse racing wondering if Lightning would leave now angry.   
‘Have you seen someone die before?’ Lightning asked him quietly.   
‘Yes,’ Suguro answered thickly, surprised but also concerned Lightning had missed his point, ‘Dad visits when people are sick and he used to take me with him.’ Lightning hummed softly. ‘He didn’t have to die,’ Suguro reiterated, feeling the words burning in his throat. Lightning shrugged; ‘he was one person,’ unable to prevent himself Suguro gave a shocked grunt and Lightning shook his head coming closer to him, ‘Ryuji, I’m not exaggerating when I say the existence of Assiah is what’s at stake. One person barely registers against all that.’ Lightning held him gently by the upper arms thumbs stroking over his skin, a comforting, abating gesture.   
‘There are other ways,’ he said stubbornly, ducking his head into his shoulder.   
‘I know,’ Lightning smirked, touching him gently under the chin, ‘but I don’t threaten people because I get off on it – I do it because it’s effective.’ Suguro flushed embarrassed and frustrated.   
‘I don’t like lying to my friends,’ he admitted, although he knew it was basically pointless telling him.   
‘Perhaps we all have to suffer in one way or another,’ Lightning murmured resting a warm hand at the centre of Suguro’s chest, ‘make peace with it – a conflicted heart leaves you open to possession.’ Suguro nodded suddenly feeling heavy and exhausted. Was Lightning’s investigation really so important?   
‘Come on,’ he murmured pulling Suguro into him and hugging him pressing his nose into his hair and inhaling. ‘No one’s called me that is years y’know,’ he muttered over Suguro’s shoulder, ‘not to my face anyway,’ he snickered, kissing his cheek and released him, ‘I’ll make sure you don’t hear it again, okay?’   
‘It’s not the name,’ Suguro muttered looking at his curling bare toes, ‘it’s the reputation.’  
‘You know me, right? So it doesn’t matter what other people are say,’ Lightning sighed then he gave an awkward sort of shrug, ‘can you get over it?’ he asked voice softening slightly.  
‘I think so,’ he answered quietly and Lightning nodded scratching the back of his head again.   
‘Okay,’ Lightning murmured and he could hear the smile in his voice, ‘you go back to bed – I’ve got a meeting in Europe.’  
‘On New Year’s day?’ Suguro frowned. Lightning chuckled but didn’t answer wrapping his arms around him again making them both almost stumble into the robe stand. Lightning hummed into his hair letting him go reluctantly.  
‘I want to do more of that,’ he murmured into his ear and Suguro felt his pulse jump. Then he was giving him a lingering kiss and peeling off him to slip from the room.   
Not sure if he was happier or more confused than he’d been in his life, Suguro gave the room a final sweep with his gaze and hastily brushed off as much green chalk as he could, praying his father wouldn’t notice. He slipped out too padding back to his bedroom yawning hoping to catch a couple of hours sleep before the New Year’s dawn.

**Author's Note:**

> N.B. Regarding the names I used 'Lightning' because 'Lewin' felt too familiar and I thought we'd get get confused with DeathNote if I used 'Light'... and I only found one other fanfic (the search continues!) that mentions him and they used 'Lightning' so yeah :D
> 
> I changed 'Bon' to 'Suguro' because 'Bon' made me giggle in the *ahem* middle section... although I've been reading a lot and I kind of like Ryuji now...
> 
> Also I can see 'Juzo' and 'Gozo' are spelt with the long sounds in the tags (unless I've tagged the wrong characters - apologies if so!) not a complicated stylistic choice just didn't think it's necessary :)


End file.
